16th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Israeli forces on Sunday, 15th January 2017, have put up new barbed wire at the edge of an Islamic cemetery in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), showing no respect for the graves.
The Islamic cemetery is located alongside Shuhada Street in the heart of the city. After the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994, in which an Israeli settler killed 29 Palestinians praying inside Ibrahimi Mosque, Shuhada Street was slowly but steadily ethnically cleansed of Palestinians by the Israeli forces. Nowadays, the larger part of the road, once the main thorourghfare and market of al-Khalil, is completely forbidden for Palestinians, whose presence has been outlawed by the Israeli forces. Only a tiny strip near Shuhada checkpoint remains, where Palestinians are allowed to walk, but not to drive any kind of vehicles, including ambulances. Shuhada Street is a clear example of the Israeli forces’ steady measures of ethnic cleansing.
The Islamic cemetery borders directly onto the larger section of Shuhada Street where Palestinian presence is entirely outlawed, as the main illegal settlements in downtown al-Khalil are situated here. On Sunday, Israeli forces installed extra layers of barbed-wire at the side of the cemetery bordering Shuhada Street. During a break, soldiers were sitting on grave-stones, without any respect for the dignity and peace of the dead, or their loved ones’ feelings as they see the occupying army stomping through the cemetery, ‘resting’ on grave-stones and lying barbed-wire on the graves. Israeli forces in the past have repeatedly bluntly disregarded this cemetery as a resting place, regularly conducting military exercise inside the cemetery.
Israeli soldier comfortably sitting down ongrave-stone in Islamic cemetery. Photo credit: Zleikha Muhtaseb
14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Imagine coming to a checkpoint, manned by a relentless occupying army, on your way home from hospital, holding your new baby who is less than a month old. At the checkpoint, the occupying army refuses to let you pass – insisting that you put your baby on the dirty table, so they can force you through ‘security’ checks. They have no regard for your tiny baby: any Palestinian is considered a threat.
That’s exactly what happened on Friday night at Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). This is the same checkpoint where, just two days before, Israeli forces denied passage to Palestinians trying to reach their homes, as they were sleeping inside the checkpoint. Israeli forces show no mercy or humanity, no regard for life. Whether it’s a old woman hardly able to walk, or a 20-day old baby, ‘security’ is the word used to excuse the occupying army from treating Palestinians with respect and dignity. Palestinians are collectively considered a population that is a threat to the “Jewish Democratic State.” The state neglects, marginalizes and abuses this exact civilian population in the name of security.
With this mindset, even a 20-day old baby, wrapped up in blankets against the cold and freezing winds is just that – a ‘threat’, stripped of all humanity, not regarded as a human being. Occupying forces demanded that the man put the baby on a table in order to go through normal ‘security’ checks. The baby was treated just like anything else a Palestinian may attempt to bring through a checkpoint: a plastic bag of vegetables, a school-bag filled with books, all a potential threat. The baby had to be kept on a table next to the metal detector, like a bag of vegetables, while the man passes through the metal detector. The metal detector is yet another opportunity for the soldiers to harass Palestinians. Regardless of whether the detector indicates that there’s any metal, a person cannot continue through the checkpoint until the occupying army decides that the person is fine to pass. Maybe they will force them to lift up their shirts for a little extra humiliation. Then the plastic-bags have to be opened one by one, so the occupying army can inspect the contents.
In the midst of this humiliating procedure, the Israeli soldiers forced a man to put the tiny, fragile 20-day old baby on the table like any other possession. There was no respect for the baby’s wellbeing. No consideration of the freezing temperatures, or the possibility of bodily injury. After precariously leaving the baby on the table, the soldiers then forced the Palestinian man to bring the baby through the metal detector, with the baby in his arms. Any arguments appealing to the humanity of the occupying army were ignored.
The absurdity and cruelty of this situation demonstrate how even the youngest Palestinians – babies – are treated like potential terrorists by the occupying army. This child, who has been alive less than a month, has already been forced to feel the full brunt of the continuous illegal occupation that is attempting to ethnically cleanse Palestine of any Palestinian presence. Every Palestinian is a threat. This dangerous ideology is perpetuating a culture of remorseless ethnic cleansing by Israeli forces.
14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
According to the theory of realism within the field of international relations, conflict and war is the outcome of an actual threat (a material/military threat). That is, war breaks out when one country is threatening the security of some other country by accumulating military power. It is, in other words, the Hobbesian war against all, where only the most powerful is safe. Now, if one holds such a belief, it is obvious that war/ conflict is a matter of national security. The less powerful seeks safety by military buildup, while the strongest seeks safety by retaliation. If taken to its natural conclusion, realism absurdly claims that “It is the desire of every state, or of its ruler, to arrive at a condition of perpetual peace by conquering the whole world, if that were possible”
Now, the myth of realism has been debunked on numerous occasions by the course of history itself. For instance, as Alexander Wendt points out, if realism did hold true, then why are “500 British nuclear weapons less threatening to the United States than 5 North Korean nuclear Weapons”? But even though the myth of realism is theoretically debunked, the implications of the theory live on in the minds of most citizens. Being caught between competing parties and media outlets, it is almost impossible to remain absolutely objective when assessing the geopolitical landscape of today. Everyone wants to identify the “bad guy.” Everyone wants a clear explanation for who or what started a war. And that goes for Israel too.
However, if we take a step back from the myth, there should be no doubt as to whom is taking the lead when it comes to the power relation between Israel and Palestine. For while Israel is a recognized state with massive military capacity, Palestine is without an army and de facto subjugated by Israel.
But this is not the image portrayed in the media – not here or elsewhere. People want explanations. People don’t like complicated. So, while the situation of Israeli aggression might be very straight forward by an outside observer, it is not so obvious to Israeli citizens. The media and culture has deeply ingrained in the minds and bodies of the people of Israel that they are under constant attack: that all Palestinians pose a very real threat. The vilification of Palestinians breeds hatred and fear in the minds of Israelis and perpetuates the tension and violence here.
And this feeling – this constant feeling of fear and hatred is undeniable here in Hebron. The way the soldiers interact with civilians is full of distrust and suspicion. Now to be fair, the situation here in Hebron has been relatively ‘quiet’ for more than a month now. There has been no continuous stream of teargas or shootings. And there have not been more cases of harassment than usual. What is left are all the incidents that have been normalized, that is, body searches, ID-checks, long lines at checkpoints and the occasional provocative soldier who is showing off to his mates by harassing civilians. Despite the apparent quiet, there is no sense of safety. For we–internationals and Palestinians–know that whatever happens, happens at the mercy of soldiers. That if they have a change of heart, we are at the receiving end. We know that teargas could easily be flooding the streets tomorrow, and we understand why no one feels safe going to sleep. You never know when it will be your house that is raided at night, or when it will be your friend who is dragged away. The recent quiet and stability is fragile, terrifyingly so.
So while realism is just a disproven political theory, it is well alive in Hebron – the mentality of fear and suspicion–the realist vilification of human beings is causing the conflict.
12th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On January 12th, 2017, Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) stayed closed for over half an hour, while–as it appears–soldiers were sleeping. In the meantime, long queues of Palestinians trying to reach their homes formed outside the closed checkpoint.
The Shuhada checkpoint connects the H1-area, supposedly under full Palestinian control, with the H2-area, under full Israeli military control. It leads straight onto the tiny strip of Shuhada Street that has not (yet) been ethnically cleansed of Palestinian presence. For the majority of Palestinian families living in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, this checkpoint is the only way to reach their homes. On Thursday morning however, the checkpoint remained closed. The soldiers ignored all requests to open the gates, and the two available bells at the checkpoint were switched off. Palestinians leaving the area through a turnstile at the checkpoint repeatedly confirmed that there were no soldiers to be seen inside the checkpoint.
In the meantime, many Palestinians gathered outside the locked checkpoint-gate, waiting to reach their homes. Amongst them were many school-children that had just received their certificates for the end of the school-year.
Civilians gather as the checkpoint-gate remains closed
After more than 30 minutes, soldiers finally unlocked the turnstile allowing the people waiting to enter one by one. When passing through the checkpoint, behind the bullet-prof-glass, one soldier could clearly be seen lying on the ground with his backpack as a pillow, fast asleep. The other soldier, with his eyes barely open, waved people through.
9th Januari 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
At Sunday December 8 at noon, when fourteen female teachers of the Qurtuba high-school were leaving the school compound on their way home, the Israeli forces at checkpoint 55 on the Shuhada street blocked their way and kept them waiting on the stairs for more then 45 minutes.
Reason for this harassment was the personal decision of the commander to implement a new rule:
All the women should wait together high up the stairs,
behind the newly installed iron gate-door,
waiting for a soldier command to be allowed to proceed,
have their ID checked and
pass the checkpoint one by one.
The female teachers did not accept this arbitrary new rule, and stayed where they were, waiting to get through. Finally after 45 minutes they were allowed to pass the military checkpoint as a group.
[VIDEO] Commander: [0’10”] “I take to three .. when I take to three …, all the women behind it” “Because I decided … Because I decided to…I decided … I … yes .. because you obey … everyone obey” [0’30”] “because I decided to … because I deny you to do what you want now … and this is what I decided … I’m not talking anymore … I say just briefly … If you want to go this way from here you must go after the gate” [1’33”] You don’t tell me what to do .. no you shut up and I do what I want to .. now you, if you want to leave .. now you wait .. after I tell you … all the woman … I check you, then I let you… “ [2’29”] (pointing at the settler boy) He’s your commander .. He’s the commander of this day [3’15”] I will touch you … I will touch you … now, go away … now you go back … do you hear me? … go back now”
The brave women of the school have a good reason to protest this arbitrary procedure. There are many Apartheid regulations for the Shuhada street and the entrance to their school, and more of those inhuman rules are expected to come in the future.
[Archive] Children of the Qurtuba school waiting on the stairs, to pass the checkpointIf they wouldn’t protest it, the 6-10 y.o. schoolboys and 6-20 y.o. schoolgirls might be the next harassed with new implemented Apartheid rules.
For some children in occupied Hebron it can be a traumatic experience to pass these military checkpoints and heavily armed occupation forces all alone.
They go in groups, from their home to the school compound and back, passing at least two manned checkpoints.
Their teachers offered 45 minutes of their free time, after a busy school day, trying to prevent threatening new Apartheid rules, in which Palestinian children are not allowed to pass group-wise.
Shuhada Street and Qurtuba School. (the colors indicate Apartheid regulations) Children have to pass at least two checkpoints on their way to school
More restrictions in Hebron since september 2015, allegedly because of ‘terror attacks’
After the military violence, responsible for the death of nearly 60 young residents of Hebron between September 2015 and March 2016, the occupation forces installed new concrete walls, metal gates and doors, extreme inhuman checkpoints, barbed wire blockades and Arabic text boards with new security instructions.
The occupier gave this violent period the name “Knife Intifada”.
Mainstream media copied this or labeled it the “Third Intifada”
The UN, Amnesty International, some countries Foreign Ministeries, and many other individuals and organizations asked for proper investigation, without success.
The alleged knife attacks for which the occupation forces produced no evidence, no video footage of their security cameras, no statements by the executed suspects and no legal investigation, are clearly used as a reason for these additional Apartheid measures, i.e. less freedom of movement for Palestinians only, in their own statehood.
Most Palestinian families succeed in adapting to these inhuman situation and peacefully undergo all harassment. As long as their children have a chance to grow up undamaged, without fear or traumas, they can stay, peacefully resisting the ethnic cleansing of their statehood.
Israel is abusing International Law, and should be sanctioned by all other states
The international powers united in the NATO are liable supporters of this Israeli occupation. They are obviously abusing the international law which they agreed on and together signed, because it commits them to sanction those states who violate the regulations in it.
